Wood Species & Materials

The wood you choose sets the tone for the beauty, durability, and character of your cabinetry. Each wood species offers its own unique grain pattern, color tone, and natural markings, giving you the freedom to match your personal style and design vision. 

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A Word on the Natural Beauty of a Wood Species

What makes a wood so naturally beautiful is the variation and depths in the grain. This can mean you may not have perfectly symmetrical or consistent markings in your cabinetry. Particularly with a character wood, there can be prominent lines, knots or other features. If consistency in each cabinet is critical to your vision, we recommend a maple, a deep stain color, or paintable option.

QUARTER-SAWN

WHITE OAK

Quarter-sawn White Oak is a premium hardwood prized for its strength, stability, and distinctive grain pattern, featuring tight, linear grain with striking ray flecks. Ideal for fine cabinetry, it offers exceptional durability and a timeless aesthetic that enhances both traditional and modern designs.

MEDIUM DENSITY FIBERBOARD

PAINTABLE

MDF is a durable, engineered wood product ideal for painted cabinet doors and drawer fronts. With a smooth, uniform surface, MDF allows for a flawless paint finish while resisting warping and cracking, making it a popular choice for both modern and traditional cabinetry.

CLEAR OR RUSTIC

HARD MAPLE

Hard Maple is a strong, fine-grained hardwood commonly used for stained cabinet doors and drawer fronts, offering a smooth, even finish with warm, natural tones. It is also the preferred material for face frames when painting MDF, ensuring durability and a seamless look in high-quality cabinetry.

CLEAR OR RUSTIC

AMERICAN BLACK CHERRY

American Black Cherry is a rich, elegant hardwood known for its smooth grain and warm, reddish-brown hues that deepen over time. Ideal for cabinetry, it takes stain beautifully, highlighting its natural variations and adding a touch of timeless sophistication to doors and drawer fronts.

STAINED

LYPTUS

Lyptus is a sustainable hardwood, harvested from a fast-growing hybrid of eucalyptus that matures in just 15 years. Known for its mahogany-like grain and natural red undertones, it enriches brown-toned stains, creating a deep, luxurious finish. Its durability and striking appearance make it an excellent choice for cabinet doors and drawer fronts.

CLEAR OR KNOTTY

ALDER

Alder wood is characterized by its light color, ranging from tan to reddish-brown, its straight, fine, and uniform grain, and its soft, medium-density nature that makes it easy to work with hand and power tools. It finishes well, accepting stains and paints smoothly, and can be used to mimic the look of more expensive woods like cherry.

CLEAR OR RUSTIC

HICKORY

Hickory is a dense, very strong, and shock-resistant North American hardwood known for its high Janka hardness rating. It has a coarse, prominent grain with strong color contrasts between its pale sapwood and reddish-brown heartwood, giving a rustic look, though it can be stained for a more consistent finish.

CLEAR OR RUSTIC

AMERICAN BLACK WALNUT

American Black Walnut is a dense, strong, and durable hardwood, renowned for its rich, dark chocolate brown heartwood color and handsome grain pattern, though the sapwood is a creamy white.It polishes to a smooth, velvety finish, and holds its shape after seasoning. Valued for its stability, shock resistance, and excellent steam-bending properties, it is a premium domestic hardwood widely used for cabinetry.

PAINTED OR STAINED

RED OAK

Red oak is a durable, strong, and widely available hardwood with a distinctive reddish-brown, open-grain appearance, making it ideal for flooring, furniture, and millwork. It's known for its good workability and taking finishes well.

MOSA OR "GIANT"

BAMBOO

Bamboo, technically a grass, is described as "bamboo wood" due to its woody stem and properties similar to hardwoods, offering a uniform, pale yellow to white color with a consistent, fine to medium texture. It is a strong, durable, and fast-growing renewable resource that regenerates from its root system after harvest with a very unique grain.

FAQs

You may be looking for specific characteristics in a wood species - we're here to help and answer any questions you may have, but here a few common questions.

What is the best wood species for kitchen cabinets?

The best wood species depends on your style, budget, and durability needs. Popular choices include maple for its smooth grain, oak for its strength and character, cherry for its rich color, and hickory for a rustic look. Each wood type has unique characteristics that affect appearance and price.

Which wood species is the most durable for cabinets?

Oak and hickory are hardwoods known for durability and resistance to wear, making them ideal for busy kitchens and high-traffic areas. Maple is also a durable choice with a fine, uniform grain.

How does the wood species affect cabinet color and finish?

Different wood species take stain and paint differently. Cherry naturally darkens with age, oak highlights stain variations, maple works well with painted finishes, and walnut has a deep, luxurious tone without heavy staining.

Ready to bring your dream kitchen to life?

Our team specializes in designing and building beautiful, functional, semi-custom cabinetry tailored to your style and space. Let's talk about your vision, explore options, and create a plan that fits your budget and timeline.

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